Reynolds ready to lobby Trump for health insurance plan, export markets

June 20--CEDAR RAPIDS -- She's been on the job less than a month, but Gov. Kim Reynolds plans to make the most of an opportunity to lobby President Donald Trump for help achieving her priorities for the state.

Reynolds will join Trump when he visits Kirkwood Community College Wednesday to see livestock and precision agriculture programs there. She plans to thank him for cabinet secretaries who are "accessible and approachable," including Sonny Perdue of the USDA, who will be with Trump.

She'll also encourage White House approval of Iowa's stopgap health insurance proposal to provide a coverage option for 72,000 Iowans on individual plans.

She's referring to the plan put forward last week by Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen asking the federal government to approve a stopgap measure he hoped would both keep Medica in the state and lure other insurers to the state's marketplace. The measure -- which still must be approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- would provide consumers with age- and income-based tax credits, as well as use a reinsurance mechanism for costly medical claims.

The state wants to "ensure they have some type of coverage beginning July 1, 2018," Reynolds said Tuesday at her weekly news conference.

In addition to the tour at Kirkwood where the president is likely to make remarks consistent with his "technology week" focus, Trump will have a campaign-style rally at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave. NE. For general admission tickets, visit https://www.donaldjtrump.com/.

The rally also is to serve as a send-off for former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who will leave Friday for a posting as ambassador to China.

Reynolds plan to press the case for not only maintaining export markets, but expanding those overseas markets for Iowa products and ag commodities.

And the governor will talk up five infrastructure priorities the state has proposed as part of the president's commitment to updating and modernizing American infrastructure. Those projects are Cedar Rapids flood mitigation, modernization of the Upper Mississippi River locks and dams and Des Moines airport, the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System, and the Interstate-80-380 interchange.

Reynolds will ask the president for help achieving two of her priorities -- creating a competitive business environment and modernizing Iowa's tax system.

"I think I would do my best to encourage him to push forward and get tax reform done in this year," she said, because that would help improve the environment for job and business creation.

In response to the Trump visit, a peaceful protest is planned outside the cellular Center from 5 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/299918493783675/?active_tab=about.

At 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Linn County Democrats will be hosting a Community Conversation in Room A, Beems Auditorium of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 5th Ave. The event is open to the public.

l Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com

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